1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to work handling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for automatically feeding logs to a log splitting machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various equipment has been developed for feeding logs to log splitters. Examples of prior log feeding devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,974,867; 4,076,061; 4,281,697; and 4,371,019. The log feeders disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,974,867; 4,281,697; and 4,371,019 consist essentially of conveyors which feed the logs to the splitting station in a direction transverse to the direction of splitting motion. The log handling device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,061 employs a conveyor and winch for feeding the logs parallel to the direction of splitting motion. It is readily apparent that the machinery of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,061 is complicated and expensive and is of only limited application.
To increase productivity, it is desirable to automatically feed the unsplit logs to the splitting device in timed relationship to the splitting cycle. This may be accomplished, for example, by an intermittently moving conveyor, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,019, or by rotatable crescent-shaped arms as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,697. The conveyor of U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,867 includes stops and lifting wings with hinged fingers thereon to feed logs from an elevated downwardly sloped conveyor to the splitting station.
A deficiency of the conveyor mechanism of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,974,867; 4,281,697; and 4,371,019 is the lack of suitable devices for lifting the unsplit logs from the ground and onto the conveyors. As is well known, unsplit logs can be very heavy, and lifting large numbers of them onto a log splitter conveyor is a fatiguing task. Further, the exposed moving conveyor chains or other parts are sources of danger to persons operating the log splitter.
A further handicap of the previous devices is the complexity and costliness of the log feeder control systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,867 teaches a three-valve arrangement for operating the log splitting machinery; each valve must be operated in proper sequence by the operator for proper functioning of the log splitter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,019 also teaches separate valves for actuating the splitting mechanism and the conveyor.
Thus, a need exists for inexpensive and efficient log handling machinery which automatically feeds logs to a log splitting machine without requiring manual lifting of the log from the ground.